Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Curl Combo lines up out of Shotgun Doubles Z Close Wk with 11 personnel and shows a receiver motioning across before the snap. Post-snap, the outside receiver to the closed side runs a deep comeback breaking back toward the sideline while the inside slot runs a curl route sitting down in the intermediate zone, giving you a high-low read against the same side of the field. The backside single receiver runs a vertical seam up the numbers to hold the safety, and the running back releases on a check release flat/swing route as the underneath outlet. This is a curl flat combo built to attack zone coverage by stretching the flat defender and the curl/hook defender at the same time, with the comeback route serving as your man beater versus press or trail technique. Primary read progression starts at the comeback, works down to the curl sitting underneath, and checks down to the running back if both are covered.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks too deep on the curl route the comeback throwing lane opens up immediately for a chunk gain. Key the corner over the comeback route, if he sits in a hard outside shade or press alignment before the snap expect him to jump the route, so be ready to work the curl or check down instead. Identify if the defense shows two high safeties or rotates to single high after the motion, two high shells with soft corners are where the comeback route wins most consistently. This concept struggles against tight man coverage with underneath linebacker spy or blitz packages that take away the running back check release, since it removes your safety valve against pressure. Watch for a user controlled defender sitting in the curl window or lurking underneath, if you see a defender crash down late on the curl route immediately reset your eyes to the comeback or the backside seam.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, if the defender follows across the formation you are getting man coverage and should prioritize the comeback route against a trailing corner.
Against zone shells, target the curl route first since it sits down in the soft spot between the flat defender and the deep zone defender, this is your quickest and safest read.
Best deployed on second and medium or third and short to medium distances where the curl route depth matches the sticks and the comeback gives you a boundary win versus soft corners playing off coverage.
Pair this play with Mtn Z Spot or Mtn Switch Wheel out of the same set to keep the defense guessing, since the initial motion and formation look identically but the route concepts attack different levels and coverage shells.
If the safety rotates hard to the motion side pre-snap, expect single high or Cover 3 rotation and lean on the backside vertical seam to hold that safety before working your comeback and curl combo.
